Phoenix Network Forums

As this forum is meant to be serious discussion, please be aware of the following things;

a. Make your posts count. Discussion is not one sentence.
b. Don't post spam! Posts will be judged under greater scrutiny then posts in other forums. Make sure what you are saying is adding to the discussion.

Tim's addition:
In accordance with what nighthawk has said about spam in this forum, there are some new rules in place. We have a spam system for this forum and this forum only where you get given a point for each post a mod deems spammy.
On the other hand, if you make a good post in a topic you might have your spam level reduced.

Once you get 5 points you are banned from this forum.

You cannot see your current spam level, if you are interested in it then you may ask a moderator on IRC however, they are not required to give it to you.

I would like to add that, as this is (supposed to be) more of a thinking forum, it would be nice to see a little bit more effort go into the grammatical aspects of the posts

I understand that for some people, English is not their first language, and we're willing to accomodate for that, but there are some people (who am I referring to, krod? =P) who know (or are supposed to know) basic English conventions like punctuation and capitalization.

The other problem is spelling: the title here is "Serious Discussion"; if you want to be taken seriously, un-words like "sux" are not going to help you. That doesn't mean you can't make a few typos here and there though (looking at nighthawk's post, it's easy to "overlook it" when he misspelled "scrutiny" because the rest of it is perfect), it's just that when a post is 7 words long and 5 aren't spelled correctly, it clearly doesn't belong in this forum.

I know that most of the people here do this already, it's just there are a few chronic offenders that break up the conventions and divert attention from the actual topic ...

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One last comment about Phoenix Forums in general: A post is not really a complete response if it's less than 20 words. Here the requirement should be more, because the thinking that goes into the reponses are greater, so if it takes a lot more words to explain your position, please use them! I often write a lot in a response because it clarifies my position not only to other people, but also to myself frequently. Posts should be absolutely clear (unless you intentionally make them ambiguous to provoke the thought process).


Finally, if you do decide to quote someone else's post, there are three good "rules of thumb" to go by:
1) Trim down as much "excess" that you don't specifically reply to,
2) Never repost someone's entire post in one quote box,
3) Always write more words than you've quoted--it's an eyesore to see a huge quote and then a four word reply under it.

I understand that for some people, English is not their first language, and we're willing to accomodate for that, but there are some people (who am I referring to, krod? =P) who know (or are supposed to know) basic English conventions like punctuation and capitalization.

The other problem is spelling: the title here is "Serious Discussion"; if you want to be taken seriously, un-words like "sux" are not going to help you. That doesn't mean you can't make a few typos here and there though (looking at nighthawk's post, it's easy to "overlook it" when he misspelled "scrutiny" because the rest of it is perfect), it's just that when a post is 7 words long and 5 aren't spelled correctly, it clearly doesn't belong in this forum.

i agreed with everything else you said in your post.. but as far as punctuation and capitalization?... ok i am a little lazy and really dont do little things like... doesn't... i would leave out a apostrophe... i dont know... things of that nature i tend to leave out because i am not writing a novel to be examined by some english professor. i am trying to make a point and then leave. other than that.. i try to explain my point... i make a few spelling errors here or there... isnt posting a decent reply sufficient? i mean how meticulous are you really?

[SoLveD]

But how hard is it to use capital letters and punctuation? It's not even too difficult to check google for the spelling of a word.

I'm Finnish, English is my second language and I can do that. It doesn't even take me long, and it wouldn't take longer than if you wrote stupidly.
It's weird how easily people butcher their only efficient way of communication with other people, especially on a forum where it is the only means of communication.

why be so meticulous? i mean, was what i wrote that hard to read and comprehend? finnish is your main language? want a cookie? i mean just because you speak another language and your english isnt half assed like mine, am i supose to be impressed? bravo. what else can i say. and as for "people butchering their only efficient way of communication with other people"? i think thats a bit far fetched... i hold conversations with people all the time... i think that is a lilttle more efficient then posting on a forum and waiting for a reply.. not to mention... when i speak do you notice the capitalization of my words? this forum also has its own irc channel as well right? so much for only means of communication... by the way... what if they were in a hurry? what about the factors of life? do you consider what might be going on in someone elses life? maybe they sat down and typed it quick and had to jet... instead of proof reading and all the other jazz.. come on now... get real.

[SoLveD]

I'm sorry that you had to completely miss the point.

Let me make myself clearer. I couldn't be assed quoting you so you'll have to figure out what I'm referring to all on your own.


1) I do not want a cookie - I was merely pointing out the fact that it's not difficult to write proper English.
2) You will not change the world with a great conversation. You'll need to write it down. Thus, I am calling it the only efficient way of communication. And I am not talking on the forums, I mean in real life efficient.
3) Speaking and writing are different things. I can't believe I had to point that one out as well
4) The forum does not have an irc channel. Phoenix Network has an irc channel. I also believe that you'll find that this topic is about the rules for this specific forum, not the irc channel, where the specified crap talk is abundant, even from I, the one that wants a cookie because I'm so great in English.
5) If you're in a hurry, what are you doing replying to a post made in the serious discussion forum? The posts made can get rather large, and you need to think about your answer. Yes, think.
6) The factors of real life do come into play. If this your excuse, so be it. But I find it hard to believe, that at any given moment that you decide to post, you are in a hurry and as such have no time for proof-reading.
7) The post you've made is a horrible eyesore. It's a chunk of text, and no-one likes to read a chunk of text. My advice to you is this: Divide your posts up into paragraphs as it will make a world of difference. Your posts will blossom. Use capital letters at the beginning of sentences. This is so other people reading see when one sentence ends and when one begins. That is all you need to. Hit Enter here and there, and press down the Shift button or use Caps-Lock when you start a sentence. Punctuation is an added bonus that helps the reader divide a sentence up, so they don't have to take in a long string of words and try to understand what the message in it is.

Forums thrive when people bother to read the posts of others and can also understand them.

you have your way of typing... i have mine... you can be "perfect" and type everything nice and neat... and i will type "legibly". enough to get my point across and to go about what i was doing before. not going to bother arguing my point ... you are just trying to push the envelope.. its alright to be wrong now and agian...plus i know deep down you like the way i type... [>=D] you always come back for more.

baffling isnt it?
[SoLveD]

This is supposed to be a guide how to post properly on this forum.

Reply to you guys:

It is better to type properly as in grammar and spelling, but it's not necessary. It does look more mature and people can see that you are actually seriously discussing. Which is a big plus, as in contributing to the forum.

Just to prevent you two from clashing and getting more flaming, this gets locked.